The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas

Time Out says

4 out of 5 stars

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Users say
(152)

4 out of 5 stars

Time Out says

4 out of 5 stars

This writer can’t remember witnessing a harder-hitting kids’ movie denouement than the one that closes this microcosm of middle-class German family life in WWII. A tender adaptation of John Boyne’s 2006 children’s novel, Mark Herman’s film views a world in conflict through the innocent eyes of eight-year-old Bruno (Asa Butterfield), whose cosseted lifestyle as the son of a high-ranking Nazi officer (David Thewlis) is in stark contrast to the intolerable existence experienced by Europe’s Jewish populace.

At first we’re never quite sure what role Bruno’s father plays in the war, but we – and his increasingly suspicious wife (Vera Farmiga) – soon come to the conclusion that he has something to do with the distant concentration camp visible from the family’s back window. When Bruno spots a group of men toiling away in striped clothing, he’s sufficiently inquisitive to sneak over the garden gate for a peek.

It’s there, behind the camp’s electric fence, that Bruno first claps eyes on Shmuel (Jack Scanlon), a shaven-headed prisoner of the same age. As a conversation develops between the children, they strike up a friendship – one that leads to a shockingly fateful decision. The frightfully English accents are way out of kilter for a film set in Europe, but you learn to live with it. Thewlis, too, seems ill-cast at first but, as the film takes on a more sombre, foreboding tone, he begins to relish the part. Ultimately, though, it’s the kids’ movie; both Butterfield and Scanlon deliver strong, poignant performances. Just prepare to leave the screening feeling somewhat depressed.

this movie was great it has so much suspense and it really shows how people were treated back in thoughs days i just dont think bruno and shmol should have died in the ending something should have happened and they should have got out of the tank or something overall i give it 4 stars.

this movie was great it has so much suspense and it really shows how people were treated back in thoughs days i just dont think bruno and shmol should have died in the ending something should have happened and they should have got out of the tank or something overall i give it 4 stars.

This is a fantastic film. The acting is superb, especially Butterfield's portrayal of Bruno, who plays an eight-year-old boy with just the right amount of innocence. The cinematography is also great. Most of the atrocities happen off-screen, since we see the story through Bruno's eyes, but this does nothing to lessen the impact on the audience, who know exactly what is going on. (If the viewer cannot deduce what is going on, they are probably too young to see this movie).
As many have noted, the plot is not realistic. To some, the plot may seem very contrived. However, unlike Holocaust films such as Schindler's List, this film doesn't aim for realism. The movie is highly symbolic, almost like a parable or fable (it's short length is fitting in this regard). The symbolic nature of the film allows the message to shine though all the more clearly; when the two characters hold hands, it says it all. What we get is a deeply moving film that stands for something much bigger, as the image at the end reminds us of how many innocents suffered a similar fate.
I highly recommend this movie. It will move you to tears, as any film about the Holocaust ought to do.

This is a fantastic film. The acting is superb, especially Butterfield's portrayal of Bruno, who plays an eight-year-old boy with just the right amount of innocence. The cinematography is also great. Most of the atrocities happen off-screen, since we see the story through Bruno's eyes, but this does nothing to lessen the impact on the audience, who know exactly what is going on. (If the viewer cannot deduce what is going on, they are probably too young to see this movie).
As many have noted, the plot is not realistic. To some, the plot may seem very contrived. However, unlike Holocaust films such as Schindler's List, this film doesn't aim for realism. The movie is highly symbolic, almost like a parable or fable (it's short length is fitting in this regard). The symbolic nature of the film allows the message to shine though all the more clearly; when the two characters hold hands, it says it all. What we get is a deeply moving film that stands for something much bigger, as the image at the end reminds us of how many innocents suffered a similar fate.
I highly recommend this movie. It will move you to tears, as any film about the Holocaust ought to do.